This spring, Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television graduate student Luca Bueno, M.F.A. ’26, premiered a powerful new film, “Bodies,” at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF). Founded more than 25 years ago by Marlene Dermer and Academy Award-nominated actor Edward James Olmos, LALIFF is a vital platform to showcase Latino voices in cinema – and, for Bueno, it marked an significant opportunity to share his film’s message and connect with other emerging filmmakers. Following the film’s success at LALIFF, Bueno spoke about his decision to attend LMU, his experience filming “Bodies,” and the vital issue of immigration at the heart of the film.
Bueno, who cites Denis Villeneuve and Steven Spielberg as major creative influences, was born in Brazil and lived in France and Florida before arriving at LMU to pursue his master’s degree in film production. Reflecting on his decision to attend SFTV, Luca said, “It’s one of the biggest film schools. While touring LMU, I was able to fully understand how much the faculty supported making our films ours. They were really upfront that the rights are all ours. I’m glad I made the decision to come here, and it’s been, just as I expected, a great environment.”
Set in an L.A. neighborhood that is startled by screams and initially evoking a horror film in its visual language, Bueno’s film “Bodies” follows two policemen, Officer Alvarez and his partner Officer Parker, as they investigate what appears to be a domestic disturbance. Unbeknownst to his partner, while searching the home, Alvarez stumbles upon a family of undocumented immigrants hiding in a closet, with the mother still recovering from childbirth. Confronted with a daunting decision, Alvarez must weigh the consequences of choosing compassion and understanding toward the family over the demands of his badge.
Despite the pressure of filming “Bodies” on location in Burbank, California, with a small budget and in a short timeframe, Bueno remained committed to authenticity both onscreen and off. For him, assembling a predominantly Latino cast and crew wasn’t just a creative choice: it was essential to getting buy-in from the group regarding his narrative and capturing the story’s cultural and emotional truth. “I feel like having an 85% Latin crew made it possible to achieve this. We were able to shoot in just a day and a half because everyone was so invested,” he shared.
During pre-production, Bueno also followed his SFTV professors’ recommendation to create a dynamic pre-vis to quickly and clearly communicate his vision to his cast and crew. “I made a whole animation for it before we even shot,” he explained, “so that everyone could watch and understand what we were doing, which helped tremendously in making the movie.” He also saved valuable time on set by drawing on his experience shadowing telenovela productions back in his Brazil, where efficiency is key. He kept the shoot moving quickly by creating lighting for entire scenes, rather than individual shots, and being intentional about using lenses of equal weight to avoid the need for constant camera rebalancing.
Ultimately, “Bodies” allowed Bueno to challenge himself, subvert cinematic genres by steering the audience from expectations of a horror film to a human interest story, and explore the timely issue of immigration. Contemplating the film’s themes of cultural belonging and immigration, he observed, “It is extremely relevant today, but in my opinion, it always has been and always will be. Not only in the U.S., but in Europe, South America, everywhere. It’s a universal issue.” Reflecting on what he hopes audiences take away from the film, Bueno stressed, “We always get bombarded with headlines, numbers, and sensationalism. We start to get into this ‘gotcha’ debate, and we forget it’s real people, real families. I just want people to come out of it seeing the humanity beneath this whole conversation.”
From pre-production to presenting the film at LALIFF, Bueno embraced every challenge as an opportunity to grow, navigating a tight production schedule, establishing himself as a resourceful leader, and ensuring his team worked together toward a shared vision. Looking ahead to his LMU thesis film, which he plans to shoot this fall, Bueno is building on the momentum of “Bodies” with a renewed sense of confidence and purpose, unafraid to tackle complex, nuanced subjects and ready to tap into his full potential as a filmmaker.